It’s late October. The playoffs are in full swing. It’s a tightly contested series that has come down to the final game. NC and KT, both sides were bleeding. They were squeezing every ounce of energy out of their bodies. The tired players had bags under their eyes and cupping marks everywhere.
Even veteran Son Ah-seop is shaking. His words before the fourth game were reported by various media outlets. “When I was eating after Game 3, my chopstick fingers didn’t feel strong, but that’s okay. I’ll use all the strength I have left, even if it means going to the emergency room.”
It’s about that time. The first-place team is relaxed. It’s a guaranteed right. They had plenty of time to rest and prepare. At first in Icheon, then in a dormitory, they trained together. In the meantime. Various comments are made in the media.
The speakers are mainly coaches. It’s mostly about the team. It’s about the team, about the status of players, about the roster. But there’s also something else. It’s about the ongoing playoffs. It’s an obvious topic. It’s the series that determines the opponent.
Coach Yoon Kyung-yeop’s predictions were the talk of the town. When the Dinos won Games 1 and 2. It was a frightening six-game winning streak in the postseason. Then, prophetically, he made this prediction. “Come November, things will change.” It was a prediction full of hope that it couldn’t end soon enough.
And he was right. The winning streak came to a halt, and the team lost the third and fourth games in a row. And then came the new prediction. It went something like this. “KT is favored in Game 5. But if it’s postponed by a day due to rain, it will help NC. With Pedi on the mound, things will be different.”
Of course, it’s understandable. It’s natural to want your opponent to be tired, so that you have a slight advantage. You’ve worked hard for that number one spot. You want to make sure you enjoy it.
But I don’t think it was good for the audience (fans). There was a lot of criticism in various communities. To put it euphemistically, it went something like this. “Don’t worry about this game, just prepare for KS.” There was also an unsubstantiated rumor that said, “Pitcher *** will get robbed in Game 5.” Fans who believed it were sharpened. Fans who believed it became edgy.
Game 1 of the Korean Series is over. The No. 1 team has lost. It’s time for the postgame interview. The manager’s regret is palpable. “We apologize for not being able to show our fans a winning game. We’ll do better tomorrow so you can go home smiling.”
However, the last question takes a while. He answers the final question about Go Woo-seok.
“My physical condition is fine. Moon Sang-chul hit the first pitch well. It’s unfortunate because my fastball is not bad, but I had a bad inning, but I think I’ll be fine. I was worried about his injury, but I think he will continue to do well in the next game with our closers.”
When you run it through a translator, it sounds like this. “He had a good fastball, but then he threw a changeup and made a mistake. It was a 133-mph curveball that gave up the game-winning double. It was a 2-2 pitch, but it was driven inside for a long ball.
In other words, his analysis is not wrong. It’s just that it stirs up memories. The “slider debate” happened in early September. At the time, Yeom advised, “Throw more pitches with four-seam rather than changeups.” On the other hand, Ko Woo-seok himself said, “I’m also stubborn. I even thought about continuing to throw only sliders,” which caused a stir.
In fact, everyone goes through trial and error. There’s no one right answer to pitching. The postgame talk is all about the result. There is actually a problem with this. The problem with this is that the cause-and-effect relationship between Koh and the changeup continues to be stereotyped.
A model answer might look something like this. ‘Woo-seok’s fastball kept getting cut. I pitched a good ball, and Moon Sang-chul caught it well. I would like to praise the opposing batsman for his good preparation.’
Relatively speaking, Lee Kang-chul stands out. Many fans may recall Moon’s comment about the failed bunt. “If we lost, I was going to say I made him do it,” he said, although it was actually the batter’s choice.
But here’s the real story. This is the answer to why he brought up Park Young-hyun instead of Kim Jae-yoon in the ninth inning. “I had to think about extra innings today. I thought about the 12th inning, so I left Kim Jae-yoon in. Park Young-hyun had a loose arm, so I just went with him.”
Of course, he probably doesn’t mean it. That’s what we assume. Naturally, the regular season finale was the time to pitch. Unless there’s something wrong with him, it’s hard to imagine him switching roles. Besides, it’s Game 1. As a longtime pitching coach, he should know this.
It’s a decision that probably took a lot of thought. He must have focused on the common sense of giving the ninth inning to the pitcher with the better stuff. The move was correct. It was one of the key factors in the victory. It was an incredibly calm, decisive decision, and one that should be recognized as a “game-changer”.
Still, try to deflect. Avoid direct statements. They say 먹튀검증 things like, “We knew it was going to go to overtime” or “I just went because I had my arm free.” It’s about the whole team.
A manager can never be a winning pitcher. He can’t get a save. No, he can’t even throw a strike. The same goes for his mouth. He can’t be a real powerhouse, and that’s a bad thing to have on the front row. Fierce, breathless. You have to be careful and heavy. You always have to be in the shadow of the players and stay behind them.
